user
Explain Aristotle's theory of four causes.


assistant
Aristotle's theory of four causes states that any existing thing must have four types of cause: material, formal, efficient, and final. The material cause refers to the substance out of which a thing is made or to the matter of which it consists. The formal cause refers to the design or form of the thing and why it has that form. The efficient cause refers to the process or activity which brings about the change from potentiality to the actuality. The final cause refers to the purpose or telos of the thing, why it exists and why we do the things we do.